Riphean basins and petroleum superplays of the North Eurasia’ platforms

Three areas of abnormally high petroleum endowment are recognized in the platform margins of the Northern Eurasia. They are Romashkino, Cis-Enisey and Cis-Patom petroleum superplays, hosting multibillion barrel deposits. The first occupies the southeastern part of the Volga-Urals Basin. The other ones are in the Eastern Siberia. Volume of the discovered oil and gas reserves in these superplays is usually greater than the organic productivity of the source rocks in the Paleozoic sedimentary fill in the adjacent areas. Interpretation of geological and geophysical data shows that all of these superplay zones are flanked by basins filled with multi-kilometer thick Riphean deposits. They are regarded to as essential oil and gas kitchens. These basins originated from continental margin basins which were subsequently subjected to the collisional folding and thrusting. They exhibit structural asymmetry which facilitated the long-term predominant upsection migration of oil and gas towards the adjacent platform highs. The presence of the World’s largest oil and bitumen deposits within the platform parts of the foredeep basins demonstrate vast hydrocarbon petroleum potential of their oil kitchens